Santo Domingo in Rita Indiana Hernández’ La estrategia de Chochueca

Santo Domingo became the first city founded during the European colonization of the Americas. However, instead of a history of intense debate, the city discourse retains an almost indestructible Hispanic-centric ideology. Furthermore, and unlike many cities in Latin America, Santo Domingo had a slower process of industrial development. Its most drastic transformation occurred almost halfway through the twentieth century, during two essential periods: the dictatorship of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo (1930–1961) and part of the government of Joaquín Balaguer (1966–1978 and 1986–1996).

Approximately 4 months after Trujillo took office, Santo Domingo suffered a great devastation caused by Hurricane San Zenón in September of 1930. Trujillo’s government reconstructed the city through the development of new plazas, roads, and emblematic institutions such as the Palacio Nacional and two major banks: the Banco Central and the Banco de Reservas. Trujillo was considered by Balaguer as the only one...